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oasis

oasis

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OK is it me or no mater how much you earn u seem skint?

at the moment I'm so busy I'm booked out till November, but i never seem to have cash i, get paid by one job but them owe most of it out to pay for other labour or materials or just a big house bill! or kids ect etc..

i charge £150 a day doing domestic job like over skimming peoples houses, I'm finding I'm so busy i need help on most jobs that i take on £50-£60 a day labs to help.. and that eats away at the price of a job,, or if i price the lab in it seems quite allot of money for a small job!.. how do you guys take on a full time lab even when the jobs sometimes are just 1 sets worth?

just seems so stressful on me own i do need help as working in people houses are all about keeping it clean and loads of stuff to move loads of prep!

im working every weeknd and in the week its all about gettin home late eating and sleeping at bk 2 it! iv got a Mrs and 2 kids 2 book in aswell!

iv also stupidly booked my self in every day with no brakes so if one job has any hold ups I'm Fu*cked!

and if new jobs come in i have to say wait 6-7 weeks!

how do you guy deal with labs and small jobs and booking in work and MONEY!?! ???
 
I dont have a labourer but I do use a lad I know if and when needed on a cash basis, as most of the time I can easily get by on my own, as for money your right about the skint bit, I use one of my credit cards for materials etc so it doesnt come out of my pocket and work it that way.
 
Just have to do bit of a juggling act,....be glad you got the work load......you'd be moaning even more if you had no work mate, Chill out. :)
 
The amount of work youve got on mate even though your charging £150 ide up it another another £20 youre obviuosly in demand and learn to say no to aggro work if you dont need it, it just interferes withyour good work.
There are only 5 days in a week, Savvy, so calm down and price it right there is only so much money you can earn on your own.
Lucius
 
i know what you mean oasis its your livin costs go up coz you earn more, you cant do every job, ask specific questions over the phone save you wastin time visitin, over price jobs you dont want and sub some out, forget jobs you cant do and remember youve only been at it 5 mins your speed will increase and you will become more experienced by makin a few mistakes just dont keep makin the same ones.
 
I don't use a lab or work weekends.
It's all in the planning.
Why pay someone to do something you can do yourself, also the extra money will go in your pocket.

Save time:
never go to the van empty handed or
when going up or down stairs it saves so much time at the end of the day when packing up.
Clean up while waiting for stuff to go off.
Get the customer to clear the room out for you.

Say i got a 7day job i won't work sat & sun to finish the job,
it'll still be there Monday morning.
Enjoy your weekends with the kids mate or you'll burn yourself out & the kids will remember not seeing you as they grow up.

Get your materials on account or credit card this will help
with cash flow.

Add extra time on a job when pricing if you think it might need it and if you don't need it that's a bonus.
 
Nisus said:
I don't use a lab or work weekends.
It's all in the planning.
Why pay someone to do something you can do yourself, also the extra money will go in your pocket.

Save time:
never go to the van empty handed or
when going up or down stairs it saves so much time at the end of the day when packing up.
Clean up while waiting for stuff to go off.
Get the customer to clear the room out for you.

Say i got a 7day job i won't work sat & sun to finish the job,
it'll still be there Monday morning.
Enjoy your weekends with the kids mate or you'll burn yourself out & the kids will remember not seeing you as they grow up.

Get your materials on account or credit card this will help
with cash flow.

Add extra time on a job when pricing if you think it might need it and if you don't need it that's a bonus.
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Good advice also if you get every job you price then you're either to cheap or pricing the jobs nobody else wants, in your case I'd hazard a guess at the later ;)
 
50/60 for a labourer is too much 30/40 cash is what we pay when we need one if we are just skimming we dont really use one.

ideally i want to be banking 100/day minimum after costs so work your jobs to that if that ould b acceptable for you, dont get a reputation of being cheap might get you loads of work but it brings too much hassel aswell,
 
all sounds good ta. i think im 2 cheap, just doing a cash job now £990 hallstairs and landing, over board landing ceiling and skim double living room a- all over skim funny arch details do skim 2 and all old dry walls and posh wooden floor 2 protect.. a hard 4 days with payin out 200 for a spread for 2 days
 
Never work without a labourer well hardly ever and i price jobs for what i want people take it or leave it , having said that Ive never earned serious money only a living but Ive never been money motivated or career minded i plod on dont know wether i will ever able to afford to retire but I'm not going to worry about that either. To be honest if there was a way out of plastering id take it like a shot, its a mugs game full of poeple that cut there own throats for no real gain only for others, i dont have all the answers just know that its a trade that's never gone anywhere compared to say plumbing where theirs serious money to be made without the same graft level. I fully respect other plasterers and the guys that sub out work and earn extra money i admire them a lot but i cant be arsed personally with that.
 
Church I know and have socialised with some seriously rich people and believe me they're not all as happy as you would imagine. If you are making a steady living and enjoy the other things going on in your life then you should consider yourself lucky I know I do 8)
 
I tottally understand what you are saying , i just think that what we get paid a day is to low for what we have to do for it . When you have to worry if you are paying $4.50 or $4.90 for a bag of multi that says everything to me .
 
church said:
I tottally understand what you are saying , i just think that what we get paid a day is to low for what we have to do for it . When you have to worry if you are paying $4.50 or $4.90 for a bag of multi that says everything to me .
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HOW MUCH :o gettin multi at £3.35 plus vat at min :o
 
church said:
I tottally understand what you are saying , i just think that what we get paid a day is to low for what we have to do for it . When you have to worry if you are paying $4.50 or $4.90 for a bag of multi that says everything to me .
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Church why do you worry about that anyway it should all be priced into your quote ?
 
gps said:
church said:
I tottally understand what you are saying , i just think that what we get paid a day is to low for what we have to do for it . When you have to worry if you are paying $4.50 or $4.90 for a bag of multi that says everything to me .
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Church why do you worry about that anyway it should all be priced into your quote ?
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how much do we al charge the costomer for a bag of multi ?
 
oasis are you charging 150 for yourself plus 60 for youre lab or are you taking his wages out of yours?
 
I have never ever told a customer how much or how little I pay for materials, I just don't don't understand it when people on hear say "I charge them £30 for a box of screws" or "£5 for a bag of multi". I give them a total price for the job be it a re-skim ceiling or a site of houses.
 
Oasis try to use the lab only when necesary.why not get a apprentise pay him £95 a week have him 3 weeks in a month and 4 weeks during term breaks ( college times),employing him ligit for 2 years works im sure will workout better for you.
unless ur rendering or boarding all day long half the time the lab is sitting around.
Oasis my freind you have got to work smarter NOT harder.
buty the guys are right above....plastering is a living you wont be a million air or even close.
 
i no.. shame i dnt no more about the building game as im good at gettin work and looking pro! im now looking for a lab bout could the college let me do that when im just skimmin every day?
 
Well I work 6-7 days a week, and no matter how much I earn, something ALWAYS comes along to gobble up the extra, be it my Mrs smacking her car up, the washing machine breaking, or whatever. I am resigned to the fact that I will never be rich and have what I want, so i'm taking out a substantial life insurance policy so that when I work myself to death, at least my kids will be financially secure..
 
hard hey ta make the big money as some1 said..just need biggish jobs that u can put a big price in and get another spread with u to smash um out.. only way to gain a bit extra
 
start pricing your work at 200 a day plus mats plus lab if you need one plus 30% just incase.
All good advice above.
 
You might not ever become a millionaire but you will always be better off than a lot of people.

There is nothing better than being your own boss, earning yourself a good living and enjoying what you do.

If you have ever had to do a shi ty job in a factory or warehouse you would know that it isnt that bad.
 
islandview said:
You might not ever become a millionaire but you will always be better off than a lot of people.

There is nothing better than being your own boss, earning yourself a good living and enjoying what you do.

If you have ever had to do a shi ty job in a factory or warehouse you would know that it isnt that bad.

well said mate ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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;D
 
yup all good advice, just found my self a new lab. 22 done loads of labourin on plasters keen 2 work lives up the road £45 a day.. lets see how we go!
 
also the last lab i was meant 2 have dint get up at 7.30am.. hurd from some1 he said he could be assed to get up . i said 50 a day in the hand and i told him i had loads of work for the next few weeks 4 him,but he told some1 else it ent worth the risk of losing his benefits??????/ surly having a job is better!!!! wot a bummer.. so lazy people out there.
 
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